- Monday, April 29, 2024
Soby John was deported in 2017 and is not permitted to return to the UK
By: Pramod Thomas
THE hotel porter who raped X Factor star, Lucy Spraggan, was deported to India in 2017 after serving four years behind bars, the MailOnline has revealed.
The singer-songwriter was raped by Soby John after a night celebrating fellow contestant Rylan Clark’s 25th birthday at the Mayfair nightclub Mahiki in 2012.
In April 2013, John, who had arrived on a student visa from India, received a 10-year prison sentence.
However, MailOnline has now uncovered that he was deported to India on January 30, 2017, having served less than four years in jail for his appalling assault.
According to the report, John is not permitted to return to the UK under deportation conditions.
“Foreign nationals who commit crimes here in the UK will face the full force of the law, including deportation at the earliest opportunity for those eligible,” a Home Office spokeswoman told the newspaper, without commenting specifically on John’s deportation.
John, then 24 years old, snuck into the hotel room of the 20-year-old singer while she slept, using a staff key card, and viciously attacked her.
Lucy recounted that she lost consciousness and a member of the production team escorted her back to the hotel, where a hotel porter offered assistance in getting her to the room. As they departed, the porter secured the security latch to prevent the door from locking behind them.
Later, Rylan checked on Lucy and ensured her door was properly locked before leaving. However, the porter returned afterward and attacked her, having to use a traceable keycard because the door was locked.
Following the attack, she was prescribed Pep which, if taken within the first 72 hours of having sex, can stop the spread of HIV. However, it left her feeling too ill to continue singing in the show.
The assailant was apprehended and received a 10-year prison sentence in April 2013.
During the court hearing, John’s defense barrister argued that it was a “single foolish act” since he had a clean record.
Judge McCreath rejected the defense’s claims, acknowledging John’s relatively young age and different cultural background but firmly stating that cultural values could not condone non-consensual intercourse with a heavily intoxicated woman.
The singer appeared on BBC Breakfast recently and was overcome with emotions as she recalled X Factor boss Simon Cowell apologising to her after he learned of the attack.
“It makes me emotional because no one else said sorry. And all it took was this one man to treat me like a human being, 11 years later,” Spraggan is reported to have said.
Spraggan was given financial and medical support after the horrific incident, but she said she wasn’t supported after the trial.
“No one ever contacted me to ask if I was OK. No one called or emailed when the trial was over and he was convicted. No one offered me rehabilitation or ongoing mental health treatment. I was on my own,” she said.
